‘Easy touch’ – Arsenal accused of losing ‘that identity’ and their fear-factor

Carlton Palmer claims that Arsenal have lost their identity following the departure of Arsene Wenger, and that teams no longer fear coming up against their side.

The Frenchman left the club in 2018, and we have so far struggled under an 18-month reign under Unai Emery where he threatened to keep us challenging, before Mikel Arteta took over to give us a glimmer of hope, before the owners decided to back the new setup substantially.

While there are rumours of interest in Antonio Conte, the reality is that the owners will continue to back their man, and it would take a major run of bad form for them to reconsider that stance.

Carlton Palmer believes that we have even lost our ‘identity’, and even moved to claim that they are viewed as an ‘easy touch’.

“Even under Arsene Wenger, they had that identity,” Palmer told the Football FanCast. “You know when you went to Highbury or the Emirates to play against Arsenal, first and foremost, you knew you were in for a tough game. I think people look at Arsenal now and see it as an easy touch.

“If you go and play against Arsenal and get up against them and be physical against them, you’ve got to be careful because they’ve got good players who can play on the ball but not a complete unit. You look at it, you think, ‘I fancy my chances here’. Before, you used to go to Arsenal and you knew you had to be at your very best, and that was just to get out of there without being turned over big time.”

We’ve had a rocky start to the new season, and with a number of new players having had little time to settle in just yet, but we definitely need an upturn in fortunes sooner rather than later…

Patrick

Tags Carlton Palmer

2 Comments

  1. That fear factor, of course, came under the tutor’s hip of AW.
    Even after defeats like the 8-2 drubbing, the squad would bounce back with attacking and entertaining football (hence the +25 GD at the end of that season with a top four finish).

    Today we know it will be a defensive set up, that capitulates when going behind.
    Perhaps the game against Norwich, with a very strong squad for MA to, I ally, be able to choose from, this negativity will finally disappear?

  2. For a few years around the turn of the century Man U and Arsenal owned the PL.
    Russian gas at Chelsea in 2005 made it a top 3.
    2009 Abu Dhabi oil at Man Citeh made it a top 4.
    Then Spurs and Liverpool arrived in 2015.
    Now Arsenal compete with Leicester Spurs Leeds Everton Westham for the 2nd tier Europe.
    Despite the influx of 6 new young players
    Arsenal is still an eclectic mix of Wenger, Emery and Arteta players.
    We are a still a side in transition and will be till next summers window closes.
    Next season will be the truest test of this rebuild.
    But Will Arteta and Edu still be around by then?
    Norwich on 9/11, Burnley away and Spuds at home will see Arsenal the subject of intense scrutiny with the guillotine being readied as we write 🙂

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